Hamilton County History

Originally entitled Hamilton County in 1900: Through a Young Person's Lens, this collection includes the photographs of Earl Brooks (1883-1968), who acquired a camera as a young man and took pictures between approximately 1897 and 1904 of friends, teachers, the countryside and events in central Indiana, California, Kentucky and Ohio. Photographs of the Hamilton County Township Schools taken between 1892 and 1909 are also included. At the turn of the century, County School Superintendent Ellis A. Hutchens announced his wish to have a photograph taken of every Hamilton County school and here are 68 of those photographs. Also included is the Inter-State Directory Company's directory of Noblesville and Hamilton County Gazetteer for the years 1907-1908, a countywide residential and business directory. These projects were made possible by a joint project between the Hamilton County Historical Society and the Hamilton East Public Library.

Also included is the Inter-State Directory Company's directory of Noblesville and Hamilton County Gazetteer for the years 1907-1908, a countywide residential and business directory.

The Hamilton East Public Library currently serves the four southeastern townships of Hamilton County, Indiana with buildings in Noblesville and Fishers. The first library in Noblesville was supported by the Working Men's Association and opened in 1856, and the first township library was opened in 1883. In 1913, a Carnegie Library opened with about 4,000 books. The current Noblesville Library was built in 1986 and the Fishers Library in 1993 with major renovations to both concluded in 2005. In 2008, over 2 million items were circulated. The Indiana Room is located on the second floor of the Noblesville Library and houses a special collection dedicated to preserving and providing local and state history, genealogy and family history.

The Hamilton County Historical Society was founded in 1963 as a not for profit educational institution created to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Hamilton County, Indiana. The Society has endeavored to promote historical awareness in the communities within one of the fastest growing counties in the United States, through tours of the museum, brochures, their newsletter and personal recollections recorded by the members of the society. The society runs the Hamilton County Museum of History on Courthouse Square in Noblesville. It is housed in the Old Sheriff’s Residence and Jail, which was built in 1875-1876 and served as the county jail until 1977. The Hamilton County Historical Society has restored the interior and developed the museum for the public to visit and enjoy.